26 DEEP FURROWS 



"You spoke of rifles, McNair. Guns go off," inter- 

 polated the other sententiously. " What'n the mischief 

 do you expect to gain by that sort of thing ?" 



" A hearing, by Jingo ! That's more'n all your letters 

 to the papers an' your meetin's an' resolutions have got 

 us. We'll show 'em we mean business " 



" Rot ! How did we get the Royal Commission except 

 by those letters and meetings ? That put the Manitoba 

 Grain Act on the statutes, didn't it? Mean to say 

 we're no farther ahead? We've got the whole grain 

 trade under control and supervision " 



" Like ducks you have !" The former rancher threw 

 back his head and laughed. 



" We've got the privilege of loading our wheat direct 

 on cars through the flat warehouses or any other way 

 we like " 



"What's the good o' that if a man can't get a car 

 when he wants it?" demanded McNair impatiently. 

 " The elevator gang 've organized to grab everything in 

 sight, i know it. You know it. Everybody knows it, 

 by heaven ! So what's the use o' talkin' ?" 

 , I " We've got to be fair, though. The elevator people 

 II have put a lot of money <^Say, why can't we organize, 

 1 1 too?" suggested Motherwell with a flash of inspiration.^ 

 " We haven't tried that yet. That's constitutional. 

 That's what the livestock breeders have done," he said 

 eagerly. 



McNair shook his head. 



" I tell you, Bill, it's too late for that sort o' thing," 

 he objected. " Unless you mean organizin' to fight " 



" Exactly." 



"With guns, if necessary?" 



" It won't be necessary." 



" Possibly not to shoot anybody. The showin' mebbe'll 



